Jack Gurney

Recently heard about a British film I'd not heard of (shock!!) made in 1972, possibly a short, called PASS OF ARMS direceted by one Peter Elwood. I believe it was ome kind of mdeiaeval historical drama, but either way, the soundtrack was by the late great folk singer Sandy Denny.

Anyone (a) seen it and ([img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cool.gif[/img] got it?

I have a massive wants list- obviously being a good mate of Marc Morris, I do get some stuff quite often, but the amount of stuff I have left to trade with him that he hasn't already got is running low. Obviously, British films are my favourite, but I also collect Italian, German, American...lots of horror and exploitation obviously, but I'll quite happily watch anything from the UK, especially made between 1945 and 1985.

I will warn you though- one of my videos is knackered.

"Whatever happened to Fay Wray?"

penfold

It was a short film, around 1/2 an hour, and won a prize at that year's Cork Film Festival. As well as Sandy Denny (her two tracks Here in Silence and Man of Iron are available on various Sandy Denny compilations) it features poet Christopher Logue, reading Wilfred Owen's Strange Meeting - but both are on the soundtrack only and did not appear in the film I believe. The soundtrack was released on Island records as an EP in 1972, but is extremely rare, and you will be fortunate to find a mint copy for less than £100...
I'm not sure quite what the subject matter is, but am fairly sure it's some sort of anti-war parable; it may well be set in medieval times if the sleeve is anything to go by.
The NFTVA has an original print in the archive, but it has not been duplicated so cannot be viewed...
The director (also writer, producer, co-songwriter) was Peter Elford, not Elwood; the music (and the other co-songwriter) was Don Fraser.
Yes, I have the EP, whence the details; I would love to see the film too...I've even considered paying for a print to be made !!! So, has anyone seen it, let alone have a copy??
Good luck in your search....hope the details help.


Pass of Arms sleeve

Back of sleeve

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

moonpie

Wow! That sounds amazing, how do these films disapear into obscurity?

penfold

It happens all the time with short films...I haven't found any evidence that Pass of Arms was ever given a cinema release as a supporting film; no evidence it has ever been broadcast; bearing that in mind, and the cost to an independent film company to produce colour prints, then the print in the NFTVA may be the one shown thirty-plus years ago in Cork; possibly the only one ever struck. No-one I know (and that includes a lot of Sandy Denny fans in their fifties) ever saw it, and but for the EP release and the publicity surrounding that (and even that clashed with a single release of hers) none would have heard of the film or her involvement with it. The soundtrack is, as you would expect, superb; heaven knows what the film looks like.

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

penfold

Just had a quick look, and the only copy of the EP I could find for sale on the internet is in Tokyo, and they're asking $250 for it....

Bit of a Bay Window, what??